Mai Bonsai Blog

After attempting to join the large Jin (deadwood branch stub) to two smaller ones lower down the trunk, thereby creating a shari, I realised that unlike with perhaps Juniper or Potentilla, Scots Pines do not have definitive 'live' and 'dead' veins, and i had merely removed the bark (and some cambium) from the live trunk! A mistake i wont be making again!

I took this tree along to the Saturday workshop with Clive (the next morning) to repot it and ask his advise, and we re-examined the tree's options and decided to restyle the already wired tree into an informal upright style. This way, not only did i gain the extra experience of redesigning a tree, we were also able to hide my faux pas to the rear of the tree! :)

As can be seen in nature with many evergreens, lower branches are positioned radiating from the trunk in a downward direction, due their extra length and weight, and mid and upper branches are set horizontally, or growing up to fill any spaces.

The pot chosen is a simple relatively feminine unglazed drum pot, and the tree was positioned slightly off centre (to the right and to the rear), with the initial movement and primary branch extending to the left to create a balanced effect.